The Cross River State Government
has reacted to the freezing of its Paris-Club refund bank account by an FCT
High Court presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Asuquo Ekpenyong, said the state governor,
Ben Ayade, has not paid a dime to any family member, girlfriend, or crony in
the guise of settling the consultants who aided in the collection of the Paris
Club Refunds.

It could be recalled that Justice
Halilu had ordered the freezing of the state’s Paris and London Club Debit
Refund account amid allegations that governor Ayade preferred payment to family
members, girlfriends, and cronies in the guise of settling the fees for
consultancy services at the expense of the real consultant progenitor of
the Paris-London Club Refund.

According to the Finance
Commissioner, all the monies collected were applied for the payment of
salaries, gratuities and pension arrears with no consultant paid so far.

Ekpenyong stated this while addressing
journalists on the matter.

He said: “It is important to
state that some of the information I have seen online; the state has not paid
any consultant whatsoever. Cross River State has not paid any consultant for
the Paris Club (refund).

“The Paris Club (refund) was used strictly for
the payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities.

“If you want a clear breakdown of
the expenditure, that can even be given so the claims in the public domain that
some consultants have been paid; I can tell you specifically that no consultant
has been paid,”

The Commissioner wondered why a
consultant was needed for business transacted between the federal and state
government.

He said: “Some people claimed
that they are the consultants to the state government for the purpose of
recovering or reconciling between the federal government and the state
government.

“If the second tier of government
is subnational, do you really need a consultant to come in and reconcile?”

He reiterated his stance that no
consultant has been paid a dime and described as “interesting” how the ex-parte
order could be given without the state been served a court order.

“From what I have seen in the
public space is that the state has been paying consultants. Cross River State
has not paid any consultant a dime for the Paris Club Refund.

“This man says he is a
consultant, now we are asking for better and more suited information on that,
then the man takes people to court. It doesn’t make any sense.

“It is interesting how a High
Court could give such a ruling without even inviting the state,” Ekpenyong
said.